Don
Givens

Irish Footballers that Played for Manchester
United - Don Givens

Don Givens - Introduction

Don Givens from Limerick
in the Republic of Ireland was born on 9 August 1949. As a teenager Givens
had been quite a prolific striker for Dublin Rangers. He signed for Matt
Busby's Manchester United in September 1965 at a time when Busby was still
rebuilding following the Munich air disaster. Givens still hadn't made
a first team appearance when United won the European Cup in 1968 - Busby's
crowning achievement.

Don Givens & Manchester United

Manager Wilf McGuinness
gave Don Givens his debut for Manchester United on 9 August 1969 against
Crystal Palace. It was his twentieth birthday and United drew 2-2 at Selhurst
Park courtesy of goals from Scot Willie Morgan and the great Bobby Charlton.
Givens was a substitute on the day.

Givens made nine appearances
in the 1969/70 season all of them in the first half season and four of
them as a substitute. He made his first start for United on 19 August
in a 3-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park.

Don Givens scored his first,
and last, goal for Manchester United on 30 August 1969 against Sunderland
at Old Trafford. The other scorers for the Reds in a 3-1 win that day
were Brian Kidd and the great George
Best. The young Dubliner made just three more appearances for United
and Don Givens made his last appearance for Manchester United on 25 October
1969 against West Bromwich Albion. He came on as a substitute as WBA won
2-1 at the Hawthorns. In April 1970 United sold Givens to Luton Town for
a transfer fee of £15,000.

Don Givens - Republic of Ireland Career

Don Givens made his debut
for the Republic of Ireland on 27 May 1969 against Denmark in a 1970
World Cup qualifier. It was a debut to forget as Ireland lost 2-0.
Givens scored his first goal for Ireland on 8 June 1969 against Hungary
at Dalymount Park
in the next World Cup qualifier. Dalymount was also the venue for some
of Don Givens greatest goal scoring exploits during his Irish career.
It had been almost two and a half years since his last international goal
when Givens took to the field 'Dalyer' against the former USSR in a 1976
European Championship qualifier. A Don
Givens hat trick gave the Irish team one of it's greatest ever victories.
He followed this up with a goal in the 1-1 draw away to Turkey and then,
unbelievably, he scored all four goals in a 4-0 win over the Turks in
the return match at Dalymount.

On 30 April 1980 Don Givens
scored his last goal for Ireland against Switzerland in a friendly match
at Lansdowne Road
(now Aviva Stadium).
At the time this made Don Givens Ireland's record goal scorer with 19
goals. This record stood for nine years until Frank
Stapleton took his goal tally to 20. Don Givens played his last match
for Ireland on 24 February 1981 against Wales in a friendly match at Tolka
Park.